Written in the Stars
by eastcoastbelle
Summary: The Daughters of Ipswich are just as revered, if not outright feared, as the Sons. Why wouldn't they be? They're out-of-this-world beautiful, powerful in ways that defy description, richer than sin and, oh yeah, they've got the Sons wrapped around their fingers. As senior year rolls around, a hidden prophecy and an unknown evil will test their bonds, courage & their very humanity.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Hey guys, so this is my new story…its basically a remake/retelling of my previous story, "Meeting Their Match." This story takes place in an AU where four girls, who are known as the Daughters of Ipswich, exist. The Sons have known them their whole lives and each Son shares a birthday with a Daughter – as has each generation since the beginning of time. This generation, however, is a little different in that there are romantic ties between the Sons and Daughters. I really hope that you guys will like it and find it interesting! **Please review!**

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to, I do NOT own _The Covenant _or any of its characters. Trust me, if I did, I would be Mrs. Caleb Danvers. I do, however, own the storyline and any original characters within this work.

* * *

"_Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more."_

–_Erica Jong_

* * *

Prologue: Twelve Years Ago

_Savannah Sinclair and Caleb Danvers stood facing one another across an invisible line that separated them from one another, and neither party seemed willing to cross it. The two five-year-olds stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Leader to leader, eye to eye, and heart to heart._

"_I'll kiss you, but only for a second." Savannah declared with an air of finality. Caleb's forehead crinkled, as if he was carefully considering every word that fell from her lips._

_Behind Savannah, the ringleader of sorts, stood Paige Kessler, Ember Young, and Lacey Townsend. Pogue Parry, Reid Garwin and Tyler Simms stood behind Caleb – the alpha male, if you will – in a show of solid support for the oldest Son. _

"_Savvy's going to have to go see the cootie doctor right after!" Ember squealed in youthful delight._

"_Nuh uh! Girls have cooties, not boys!" Reid defended, crossing his little arms across his chest and sticking his tongue out._

"_Okay. Let's get this over with." Caleb piped up, putting an end to the bickering. He stepped forward, crossing the invisible line, and tilted her chin up with his fingers. He planted a chaste kiss, one that was filled with childhood innocence and a hint of curiosity, squarely on her mouth. _

_The kiss was over faster than it had started, but they still made a show of wiping their lips with the backs of their hands as their friends erupted into a chorus of "Ewwws!" and "Yucks!" _

"_Now we're officially family, Cay. Just like my mommy and daddy." Savannah exclaimed, breaking into an irrepressible laugh._

"_Guess so." Caleb agreed matter-of-factly at her exclamation. Watching the pretty dimples that had found their way somehow to her face, he wondered if Savannah had discovered, as he had, that kissing wasn't so bad after all. Especially kissing Savannah._

Four Years Ago

_Caleb and Savannah stayed home for their shared thirteenth birthday, deviating from tradition. Usually, Evelyn Danvers and Audrey Mason-Sinclair would join forces and go all out to host a birthday extravaganza of epic proportions – each year trying to top the previous year's party. Turning thirteen in the Danvers-Parry-Garwin-Sinclair-Kessler-Young-Townsend clan, however, marked the beginning of the rest of their lives…and not so much in a good way._

_There were only a matter of moments before it was officially September 9__th__, 2001…exactly thirteen years to the day they were born...the day when the oldest Son and the oldest Daughter would finally get their first taste of power, a test of self-control and willpower. _

_The occasion marked the passing of power from one generation to the next. The older generation could only hope that their children would have a brighter future than they themselves had – they couldn't help but think of what had become of William. _

_With all of their family members gathered at the Danvers' Estate, the wait for the clock to strike midnight had turned excruciating. The soon-to-be, full-fledged teenagers laid sprawled side-by-side on a pullout couch in the living room, fingers interlaced discretely between their two bodies. _

"_It's almost time…" Savannah whispered, just loud enough for Caleb to hear, her face blue in the glow of her cell phone._

_The knots in Caleb's stomach tightened, but he still kept up a façade of composure – whether it was for her sake or his own, Caleb didn't know._

"_How much longer?" He asked, working to keep his voice level. _

"_About thirty-five seconds…now thirty-four…" She informed him, managing a wry smile despite the panic plunging icily in her stomach. _

_He could sense the barely hidden fear in her voice. _

"_Don't be scared, Savvy. Everything will be fine…think of it this way, soon we'll have the power to tag team Reid." He joked in mock seriousness, earning him a "Hey!" from Reid, who was God-knows-where – he stopped paying attention to anyone who wasn't Savannah a long time ago._

_Ten_

_Nine_

_Eight_

"_You promise?" She asked him with wide-eyed concern._

"_Yeah, I promise." He assured her as he traced his thumb along the back of her hand._

_Five_

_Four_

_Three_

_Two_

_One_

_The clock ticked over to midnight. Their birthday is officially here._

_Caleb is the first to get hit – that is the only word he can use to describe it – with the power and it hits with the force of a Category 5 hurricane._

_Beside him, Caleb could just barely make out the sound of Savannah screaming. Her voice choked with pure undiluted agony._

_Just before his vision goes black, the last words he hears are those of Ember's. "Happy birthday Cay and Savvy."_

* * *

"_What's with the parental summit meeting, Bri?" Sean Young questioned one of his oldest and closest friends, Brian Kessler, as he walked into the family room of the Kessler's Estate where everyone was gathered. _

"_Yeah, I want the answer to that, too…and why aren't the parents of the Sons here?" James Townsend asked from his seat by the fireplace. His wife, Julia Townsend, gave his hand a gentle squeeze to calm his nerves. _

_Brian sighed heavily, steeling himself, suddenly looking much older than his years. He removed a folded up piece of paper from his jacket pocket and showed it to the group._

"_Bri…you don't think that means what I think it means do you?" Heidi Young asked the man, her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a comforting way._

"_I can only pray that I'm wrong, that the book's wrong…" Brian trailed off, not quite willing to finish the thought._

"…_but we all know, deep down inside our hearts, that this prophecy is meant for our daughters." Nathan Sinclair finished for him, hating that he was confirming one of their biggest fears. _

"_Honey, we don't know that for certain yet." Nathan's wife, Audrey Mason-Sinclair, said._

"_Nate's right, Aud. Anybody with two eyes and half a brain can see that the kids are already paired off. It's inevitable, always has been and always will be." Sean reluctantly admitted, his voice laden with defeat. _

_The rest of the parents nodded, acknowledging the truth in his statement._

"_Caleb and Savannah are like mirrors of one another." Audrey and Nathan commented, smiling slightly._

"_Pogue and Paige, too." Olivia and Brian said._

"_Our little Ember is basically the female version of Reid, and if anybody asks, we never said any such thing." Heidi and Sean confessed._

"_Same goes for Ty and Lace." Jules and James added. _

"_So where does that leave us?" Olivia Kessler asked the group. _

_As much as they loved the Sons, which they absolutely did – they loved them as if they were their own children, they had a core obligation to protect and promote the best interests of their own daughters._

"_I say we just let the kids be…for now, at least. We have no cause for worry until another year or two." Audrey said very diplomatically._

"_Fine, but we do not mention this to the kids." Brian determined, refolding the page and slipping it back into his jacket pocket. _

Three Years Ago

_As it turned out, Audrey's words about not having any "cause for worry until another year or two," was right on the mark._

_The worry-free zone lasted about a year. A grace period in which the four pairs of parents remained hypervigilant, overprotective and chronically anxious about the well-being of their respective daughters. _

_Ironically enough, in the end, it was the golden boy and girl who ruined it for everyone. _

_Prior to the "incident-that-shall-not-be-spoken-of" (read: Savannah's parents walking in on them in the middle of a hot and heavy make out session), everyone had their bets placed on Reid and Ember. The precocious fourteen-year-olds were the type of children who seemed destined to give their parents gray hair at an early age. While they were far from a couple, nobody could deny the chemistry between them. Reid and Ember were teetering on the border of "just friends" and "friends with benefits."_

_Caleb and Savannah, on the other hand, were the type of couple who went perfectly together – so much so that people started referring to them as one entity, "CalebandSavannah" or "Cannah" (their couple name as dubbed by their friends) – and it would be easy to hate them both if they weren't so nice. They were as close as two people could be without merging into a single soul. When one wept, the other tasted salt. _

_That kind of connection would be intense, possibly even too much, for any "normal" couple to handle. Add the seductive call of the power into the mix, which they were still struggling to control, and the combination spelled out one thing: trouble. _

_So, really, in all honesty, it wasn't that much of a surprise that they were the ones that let their hormones get the best of them. What did come as a surprise, however, was the reaction Savannah got from her parents. _

_She expected them to be angry, or wild, even want to ground her (a true rarity in the Sinclair household), but she was not prepared for the horrified expression that met her. And was there a hint of guilt in their eyes? _

_To say Savannah's dad had a holy conniption would be an understatement of almost criminal magnitude._

_After talking in loud hushed tones, Savannah's parents summoned half of the Covenant – the Kessler's, the Young's and the Townsend's – to their house for one of their infamous parental summits. _

_The parents deliberated in depth over what they would, could and should do before reaching a final decision – one that would not be popular._

_One that they hoped would buy them another year's peace._

_They decided to separate the Sons from the Daughters…at least school wise. Rather than enrolling them at Spenser Academy for high school, they decided to enroll them in public school for the first time in their lives. _

Three Months Ago

"_Flight 2758 to Honolulu, Hawaii is now boarding at Gate 5. I repeat, Flight 2758 to Honolulu, Hawaii is now boarding at Gate 5." The sophisticated voice of the flight attendant announce over the speakers._

_This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. This had to be a nightmare._

_Paige squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that when she opened them she would be back in her bedroom at home, but when she opened them she was still in the middle of the frenzied airport._

"_Everything okay, Paige?" Savannah asked her, effectively snapping her out of La La Land. _

_Savannah, Ember and Lacey stood with their luggage at their feet, obviously waiting for her so they could board the plane. _

_Was she okay? _

_Her boyfriend of almost a year kissed her archenemy. _

_The guy she's known, quite literally, her whole life cheated on her._

"_I'm perfectly peachy." Paige answered sarcastically as she stood up to join them, grabbing her luggage and hauling it forward. _

_Savannah, Ember and Lacey quickly exchanged glances of concern and worry, but they followed after her._

_Paige headed towards Gate 5 to board their flight, walking at a brisk enough pace that made it seem like she was practically running._

"_Oh boy, this is going to be an interesting summer." Ember muttered under her breath, dragging her suitcase behind her as she fell into step alongside Savannah and Lacey, who were trailing far behind Paige. _

_This was so not a good sign for their impending senior year._

* * *

**Well, there's the prologue ladies and gentleman!**

**The story is going to be chronicling their senior year (for the most part), which will be present time, but I just wanted to kind of give you a glimpse of the characters and their past – what it was like growing up together, what their personalities are like, their history with each other, etc. **

**I hope you guys liked it so far. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know.**

**Please review? Pretty, pretty please with a sundae and a cherry on top? **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Thanks for much for the review/follows/favorites from the first chapter. I'm very excited about this story, and it means a lot to me to know that you guys are enjoying my story so far!

_Answering questions (that were left in reviews):_

_highlander348_ – Reid isn't the one who cheated, but that was definitely a great guess! Reid might be Mr. Playboy, but in order to cheat he needs to be in an exclusive relationship lol. Also, the girls did stay in touch with Sons. There was no way their parents could have stopped all contact between the Sons and Daughters with their powers, cell phones, access to facebook, etc. Sending the girls to public high school was more of a way to "cool down" the relationships, which might or might not have worked out…we'll find out! And yes, I do welcome suggestions :)

Once again, thank you to **everyone** who reviewed/followed/added this as a favorite!

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to, I do NOT own _The Covenant _or any of its characters. Trust me, if I did, I would be Mrs. Caleb Danvers. I do, however, own the storyline and any original characters within this work.

* * *

Two Months and Three Weeks Ago

"_Remind me again why I agreed to this?" Ember asked, not bothering to stifle her groan of dismay. Her stubbornness was certainly coming across loud and clear. _

_It was only ten in the morning, which was probably why Ember was being a little bit "extra," so to speak. _

_It was relatively early by vacation standards, but late by Paige's. She had, according to the note she left in the hotel room she was sharing with Savannah, woken up two hours earlier and had decided to treat herself to an early morning massage courtesy of the Abhasa Spa. _

_Knowing how Paige operated, it would probably be awhile before she made her way back to the room. Her absence came at a somewhat fortunate time. It provided Savannah with the perfect opportunity to have an important discussion with Ember and Lacey. _

_And that's how Savannah found herself in Ember and Lacey's hotel room, which was conveniently connected to her and Paige's room._

_After Savannah abruptly entered into their room, simply declaring that they "needed to talk," the three girls gathered onto Ember and Lacey's bedroom balcony. If they had to have this conversation so early in the morning, they might as well take full advantage of the jaw-dropping view. _

_Savannah stood there, dressed down in a pair of Victoria's Secret sequin shorts and one of Caleb's old swim team pinnies, leaning against the railing of the hotel room's balcony. _

"_Because you love Paige and you know that she really needs this to be a girls-only vacation?" Savannah said as more of a question than a statement. _

_Ember rolled her eyes, but she knew Savannah was right. As Ember gazed out into the blue of the day through her shades, she weighed the pros and cons in her head._

_Pros: it would be good for Paige, helpful for relaxing and decreasing stress, good for Paige, it would allow her…all four of them, really…to take a much needed break from the outside world. Plus, it would mean (nearly) a whole summer of not talking to Reid._

_Cons: it would mean (nearly) a whole summer of not talking to Reid._

_Well, at least not face-to-face or by telephone._

_Ember knew, however, that she and Reid could work out some ways to rectify that. Having magical powers really came in handy sometimes. Thank you Harry Potter based God. _

_Ember was just about to concede to Savannah's point when Lacey decided to speak up._

"_I know it'll break her heart and she'll fall apart, but shouldn't we just tell her the truth now and get it over with?" Lacey, who was still wearing her pajamas and a robe, asked while playing with the belt of her robe in nervousness. _

_Ember and Savannah shared a significant look, silently coming to the same decision._

"_We'll break it to her before the end of summer." Ember assured Lacey._

_Lacey didn't look too convinced of that._

"_I'm with Ember on this one, Lace. Besides, for all we know their summer fling or relationship – or whatever they're calling it – will be over by the time we get back home." Savannah reasoned with Lacey, hoping her words would become truth._

"_X marks the spot," Ember quipped coyly. "For the sake of Paige's mental health and sanity, we should avoid talking to or about Peter the Cheater and Charlotte the Harlot."_

"_Who and who?" Savannah and Lacey asked simultaneously, confusion etched across their faces and carrying into their voices._

"_Pogo stick and Kate the slore." Ember replied, as if it made perfect sense to her._

_Of course._

_Savannah really wondered, sometimes, how she ended up with such crazy friends._

"_What happens if they do stay together, though?" Lacey asked, still not completely sold on the plan._

_Lacey's simple question was met with resounding silence. Nobody wanted to think about that scenario or what it would mean for their group dynamics. _

_The three girls were quiet, their thoughts running along the same congruent line._

"_Let's just hope for the best." Savannah told Lacey._

_Just as the words left her mouth, they heard a knock on the door._

_The knock came again, but this time the knock was a little louder and accompanied by a familiar voice. "Ember? Lace? Is Savvy with you guys?" Paige asked on the other side of the door that connected her hotel suite to Ember and Lacey's suite._

"_Yeah, I'm in here." Savannah answered._

_Paige opened the door and all but floated into the room._

"_I'm in love." Paige declared with a dreamy look on her face. Ember raised her eyebrow suspiciously and watched as the glowing girl breezed over to one of the balcony's lounge chairs. "I'm in love with a woman named Svetlana who's managed to win my heart over with her magic hands."_

"_You look relaxed." Lacey observed, trying to keep her poker face on. _

"_I am so relaxed right now that I feel like a puddle of jello or a bowl of melted ice cream." Paige replied happily._

"_Sounds like you've found a slice of heaven in the form of a spa." Ember remarked, making a mental note to make an appointment a.s.a.p. and buy a pint of Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra (her favorite)._

"_Now that you're here," Savannah said speaking to Paige, "I have a proposal to make." _

_While all three girls looked at Savannah to continue, only one was truly clueless as to what Savannah was about to suggest. _

"_During our much-needed, and well deserved, vacation, we'll make a clean break from all things Ipswich related, our parents being the only exception to that rule." Savannah suggested to the girls. "No talking to the Sons. No cheer-mergencies. No college freak-outs. Our only concerns during this vacation will be room service versus hotel restaurant dining. The most stressful part of our days will be deciding which bikini to wear."_

"_Deal. I'm in." Ember said, being the first to go along with the plan._

"_Me too." Lacey added softly._

"_What about you, Paige?" Savannah asked, carefully studying her friend. _

_Savannah knew for a fact that Paige was still hurting, despite her protestations to the contrary. Paige needed to recover from the emotional scars, and Savannah was determined to do whatever it took to get Paige better again. Even if that meant keeping potentially important information from her. _

_Important information like the fact that Pogue and Kate were now dating._

_Savannah wished she could be blissfully unaware of what was happening back home. If only she hadn't called Caleb late last night. If only Caleb hadn't told her the truth of the situation. _

_Not that it was Caleb's fault or her own. _

_But still…_

_The guilt was already eating away at her conscience like battery acid._

"_Sounds like the perfect summer vacay to me!" Paige finally replied, flashing a genuine smile for a change. "I'm in."_

* * *

In one swift motion, Ember Young swung her legs over Reid's lap and straddled him.

Despite the fact that it was the afternoon, the two seventeen-year-olds were still lying comfortably in Reid's bed.

"Can you believe we're officially going to be seniors tomorrow?" Ember asked, cutting through the silence that had fallen between them.

She was clad in one of his button-down shirts, the ones he never wears unless he's forced to for some reason or another, and lace boy shorts that showcased her perfectly tan, impossibly long legs.

"Yes, but what I can't believe is that you want to spend our last day of freedom _talking_." Reid retorted.

He slipped his fingerless-gloved hand underneath her shirt and traced the tattoo on her lower back, which was a souvenir of sorts from her summer-long vacation abroad. Even though she had only been back home for a little over a week, Reid already had her tattoo permanently committed to his memory.

His fingers felt insanely warm against her skin as they traced over the Chinese symbol. Reid being Reid, he proceeded to teasingly slide his fingers along the top of her lace boy shorts, flashing his signature smirk when she shivered slightly and leaned into his touch.

The moment was interrupted by Ludacris' "Pimpin' All Over the World" ringing out from Reid's cell phone.

Ember rolled her eyes at the tune and promptly rolled off of him.

"Hmph." He grunted in irritation as he sat up.

He would have ignored the call, but Ember had already slid out of bed and was reaching for her clothes from yesterday.

Reid's eyes turned charcoal black as he tapped into his powers to guide his cell phone into his awaiting hand. Once in his hand, he briefly glanced at the caller ID before bringing the phone to his ear and answering.

"Have either you or Ember heard from Paige today?" Caleb demanded to know, skipping all formalities.

"Ember stood over last night," Reid replied instead of giving an actual answer. "I think it's safe to say that we've been…preoccupied."

"Can you guys stop by her place and see if she's okay?" Caleb asked. "Savannah's worried."

"Seriously, Cay," Reid said, his voice dripping with disgust. "Could you be any more whipped?"

Reid could practically feel Caleb's glare over the phone.

"Pot calling kettle black, Reid."

Unfazed and unaffected, Reid once again emphasized his point. "So. Freaking. Whipped."

"This isn't a joke, Reid." Caleb said. "Savannah's drowning herself in worry."

"If Vanna White 2.0 is so worried about Paige, why doesn't _she _go and check on her?" Reid asked.

"_Savannah_," Caleb said, emphasizing her name to show his disapproval of the nickname, "has cheer practice…football season is about to start."

"Of course. How could I possibly forget that she's captain of the cheer squad? " Reid said dryly, rolling his eyes. "Most of the girls on that stupid squad make Ember's life a living nightmare."

"They're not attached to the hip at school, Reid. They have lives outside of their powers…" Caleb said, rushing to her defense.

"If you're this over the moon for her now, then there's no hope for you after the ascension." Reid declared jokingly, but telling the honest-to-God's truth.

"Like you'll be any better," Caleb said sarcastically. "Just make sure Paige is doing okay."

Reid muttered a reluctant agreement before hanging up the phone and tossing it onto his nightstand.

"What's wrong?" Ember asked, reading his emotions with ease.

"Vanna White 2.0 roped us into babysitting Paige." Reid informed her.

Ember sighed, but said nothing.

Reid studied the stunning strawberry blonde. She was currently standing by his dresser, which she had apparently raided while he had been on the phone with Caleb. She was wearing the same jean skirt from the night before, but it was paired with one of his sweatshirts that somehow managed to swallow her small frame and hug her curves all at the same time.

"Soooooooo," Reid drawled, "wanna pick up where we left off?" He grinned and raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Maybe later…" Ember said with a teasing twinkle in her crystal blue eyes as she sauntered towards the door.

* * *

"…so if you think you can't make it to one of the games this season, and you'd better have a damned good reason for missing it, then call me. Practice starts at three tomorrow. I want to congratulate the whole team for doing a good job today, we're off to a great start. Dismissed ladies!"

As the squad began to disperse, Savannah took a measure of pride in the fact that her squad had the potential to make it to Nationals this year. It didn't hurt that it would look good on her resume. Despite her near perfect GPA and SAT scores, she still planned on religiously raking up as many awards and accomplishments as possible. It was all part of her plan. The famous, what her friends liked to call, "Savannah Sinclair's Five-Year Plan."

Year One (a.k.a. Senior/This Year): Get accepted into Harvard College with Caleb

Year Two: Live on-campus in the freshman dorms.

Year Three: Move off-campus with Caleb and live in one of the various mansions owned by the Danvers, or Sinclair, family.

Year Four: Get an internship and start preparing for the "real" world.

Year Five: Help Caleb with his law school applications, survive senior year, graduate from Harvard College and…the unspoken, but known by everyone, final step in her plan…get engaged.

But in order to make her ultimate goal a reality, she would have to work her butt off this year to ensure her acceptance into Harvard. Especially since she was applying as a Public.

Suddenly a pair of muscular arms wrapped around her waist and she was lifted onto a strong, taller shoulder.

"Caleb! My skirt's going to fly up!" Savannah whisper-yelled as she self-consciously tugged at the hem of her short cheerleading skirt, making sure she wasn't flashing anything more than some bare thigh.

His answering laugh vibrated against her, through her. Oh, how she loved his laugh. His laugh was like honey being drizzled onto toast; not only did it sound smooth and sweet, it was a damn sticky trap that always caught her attention and sent thrills through her body.

All too soon, he placed her back onto her feet and unwound his steely arms from her body.

"Thanks for coming to my practice, babe." She said gratefully.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." He replied, gazing into her cloud-grey orbs.

Savannah shivered slightly, already missing the physical warmth of Caleb's body. Closer, she needed to be closer.

She took a step forward – taking the lead, much as Caleb had all those years ago – so that their bodies were flushed together. She melted against his chest, a perfect fit, and covered his mouth with hers in a bruising, breath-stealing kiss.

He tasted like a dizzying mix of peppermint and magic, but mostly like the man of her dreams.

"Tell me you're coming to the senior year kickoff party at the Dell's tonight," he whispered against her lips, resting his forehead against hers.

"I want to," she whispered back, "but it depends on how Paige is holding up." Caleb's hand rose to her cheek and then entangled in her hair, running through her blonde locks. She had recently tinged her hair with hot pink dip-dye, which didn't come as much of a surprise to Caleb considering her affinity for the color pink. He was just thankful that she hadn't cut her hair. He loved her long hair. He loved the way her natural platinum blonde hair splayed across his pillow like a halo. He loved how it would fall like a curtain of silk around them when they kissed. To be honest, he loved everything about her.

"Hey…don't worry about it, pretty girl. I'm sure Paige will be okay. She's strong." Caleb told her, knowing that she was stressing out as usual.

"I love you so much, Cay." Savannah said with raw honesty.

_I love you_. The words repeated in his head. That was all Caleb needed to hear. Those three words had the power to cut right through to his heart.

"Are you getting changed here or do you want me to drop you off at your house?" Caleb asked.

"Home." Savannah replied.

Reluctantly, she took a step back, once again missing the feeling of his arms around her. With her love-and-lust-addled head cleared, Savannah took a moment to really look over him.

"I like the outfit cutie, think we could hook up later?" She asked jokingly, tilting her head to the side and smiling coyly.

As if that was even a question she had to ask.

It was natural for them to, at some point or another, sneak off to a dark corner and make out with each other.

They were pretty well known, infamous even, for their inability to keep their hands and lips off each other.

"I think we could," he said with a million dollar smile playing on his lips. "I kinda like the body in that uniform."

Savannah smiled proudly and twirled around to show off her form-fitting uniform. "Really?"

Caleb laughed, affection deep within his brilliant eyes. "Yup. Always have and always will."

* * *

Tyler pulled his black Hummer H2 into the designated parking lot for the dance studio, found a spot near the entrance, and parked it. After turning the car off and locking it, he started making his way towards the studio.

He glanced down at his watch and noted that it was just a little after four in the afternoon, which meant that he could catch the end of Lacey's shift.

Lacey had been taking dance classes for as long as he could remember. She had started dancing as a child, taking lessons in ballet, jazz, modern and hip-hop. Most of her life revolved around dance, whether it was taking classes, performing, competing, or teaching.

During her freshman year of high school, Lacey began helping out other instructors with their dance classes. Now, as a senior, she was teaching dance classes to kids at Ipswich's Millennium Dance Studio. She didn't need the extra money as all of their families were extremely well off, but Tyler knew how much she loved the job. It married two of her great loves: dancing and working with children.

Once inside, he asked the receptionist if she knew where Lacey was and she pointed him in the direction of the class. Going through the backdoor, he quietly slipped into the room and walked over to where the parents gathered, watching as their energy-charged kids practiced their plies and pirouettes.

Tyler loved watching Lacey dance, loved to watch her body twirl in time to whatever melody was playing. He couldn't help but gawk in absolute awe of her. Watching her dance was like watching another side of her. The normally shy and reserved Lacey gave way to a fierce, intense dancer. It was sexy as hell to witness…even now, when she was giving dance lessons to eight year olds.

"Older brother, I'm guessing." A mother of one Lacey's students said, smiling knowingly at Tyler. "The girl that seems to have captured your attention is Lacey Townsend, she teaches this class. She's a very warm-hearted and caring girl, you should go ahead and introduce yourself to her."

Tyler felt a blush work its way up his neck, a sudden bashfulness making him squirm in discomfort.

"Actually, I do know her. She's…um…I grew up with her." Tyler said, deciding to leave it at that. To be honest, he had no idea what they were to each other anymore. Friends? Family? Potential lovers? Soul mates?

It was complicated, to say the least.

"Oh, really? Then you must know how special and wonderful she is. My son, Marcus, goes to school with her and has had a crush on her for quite a long time. Unfortunately, for him and you, she's pretty much spoken for. At least that's what my son tells me. Oh what's the name of the guy she's dating…Tyson? No…Trevor? That's not right either…he's part of some group called the Sons of Ipswich. Sounds like some kind of a boy band, right?" The woman said, laughing lightly.

By now he was blushing furiously, unsure of what he should, even could say. The lady obviously had no idea who he was.

Thankfully, however, the class had just came to an end and the lady left to go get her daughter. As the room emptied, Lacey noticed him standing there and flashed him a radiant smile as she approached him.

"Hey Ty. Thanks for picking me up," she said as she leaned in for a quick, but sweet kiss.

"No problem." Tyler replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as she leaned into him as they walked out of the studio and headed to his car. "So, apparently some guy named Marcus has a crush on you."

"Marcus, as in Marcus McKay?" Lacey said, scrunching up her nose in that cute way he loved. "That's kind of…weird."

Tyler laughed, beyond relieved at her reaction.

* * *

When Reid and Ember went to the Kessler Estate, intending to do a quick drive-through version of a check-up, the last thing they expected to find was a furious Olivia Kessler. She was literally hair flipping, temper tantrum throwing, chucking-a-vase-at-the-wall pissed off.

They had no idea what was going on, but one thing was clear to them: there was definitely trouble in paradise for Paige's parents.

"Uhm…maybe we should come back later?" Ember suggested, backing up slightly.

"You'll have to excuse my wife, kiddos," Brian Kessler said. "She's not pleased with some of my choices."

Reid shook his head and muttered something along the lines of, "God save us all from the wrath of angry women."

"Your _choices_?" Olivia spit out, her anger and pain seeping through her words. "You'd rather sit by and watch our darling daughter self-destruct than tell her the truth!"

Ember was certain that there was a healthy mixture of confusion and bewilderment written out plainly on her face.

"The situation will work itself out, Liv." Brian argued back. "Maybe if she was a little bit older I would feel okay with telling her, but she's not, and that's the entire problem, isn't it?"

Olivia's face softened slightly, but her posture remained rigid. She wasn't ready to let her husband off the hook just yet.

"I'm telling you. I have a bad feeling something terrible is about to happen." Olivia said, her eyes pleading with him to believe her.

"No, something terrible _was _going to happen. You and I were on the verge of becoming Lynn and Jamie Spears, but luckily enough we dodged that bullet…for now." Brian told his wife, completely ignoring the perplexed gasp from Ember.

"I hope to God you're right, Bri." Olivia said quietly.

"I am. Just you wait and see, Liv." Brian murmured, recovering himself from the tidal wave of anger and frustration with a steadying breath. "If anything, we're doing our Paigeroni a favor."

"Speaking of Paige," Reid awkwardly interrupted, running his hand through his blond hair, "where is she?"

Ember glared daggers at Reid.

Why did Reid have to choose now, of all possible times, to ask about Paige?

Paige's parents exchanged worried looks with each other.

"Isn't Paige with Savannah at IHS? At cheerleading practice?" Olivia asked; worry already starting to crease her brow.

"No…she's not." Ember replied, hating that she to be the one to tell them.

* * *

**So, what do you guys think? **

**I'll try to update soon…the next chapter will focus on the party, Paige's whereabouts, and the Paige/Pogue/Kate situation (or as Ember would say the Paige/Peter/Charlotte situation lol)!**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter! If you have any questions, feel free to let me know.**

**Please review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! I'm really glad people seem to be enjoying this story. On another note – I am so, so, _so _sorry for the long delay.

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to, I do NOT own _The Covenant _or any of its characters. Trust me, if I did, I would be Mrs. Caleb Danvers. I do, however, own the storyline and any original characters within this work.

* * *

Under the spell of the hot weather, the day wore on as summer days often do. The cold night arrived with its chorus of stars, filled with darkness and mysteries.

Savannah stood in her walk-in closet with a hand on her hip, wearing a bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her wet hair, rejecting outfit after outfit. She had no idea what to change into for the party, which was going to start in about an hour. She was not usually an indecisive person. She never had trouble making decisions and once she made a decision, she never wavered. She was a strong, capable woman who knew what she wanted and went for it.

So why was she having so much trouble doing something as simple as picking out clothes to wear?

When she dug deep beneath her indecision, Savannah faced an uncomfortable reality. She was scared. Terrified, actually. Of what, she didn't really know. Something was going to happen tonight, something big and something bad. She felt it deep within her bones and it gnawed at the pit of her stomach. Why did she feel this way? But most importantly, what was going to happen tonight?

"Holy Mackenzie! What's with all the costumes?"

The question pulled her out of her reverie and back into the here-and-now. She turned to see who it was and, to her surprise, it was none other than Paige.

Still in a state of shock, all Savannah could mutter was, "What?"

Paige looked at her as if she thought that Savannah was all nine types of crazy.

"What's with all the costumes?" Paige asked Savannah once again, talking slowly, as if deciphering multiplication for a five-year-old.

Savannah looked down at her hardwood floor that was covered by a sheepskin throw rug.

Or, what _should_ be the floor.

Instead, her bedroom was littered with items strewn across the floor. Costumes and rejected articles of clothing were burying what should have been the floor. Funnily enough, most of items were actually clothes that she had stolen from Caleb over the years. Hers and his, mingling and overlapping.

"I went shopping the other day…I was brainstorming ideas for this year's Halloween costumes. You know how I am with holidays. I go all out." Savannah explained.

"Already?" Paige asked, incredulously. "Last year you waited until after Labor Day weekend. I can't wait to see the costumes you eventually decide on for Cannah."

Savannah rolled her eyes at Paige's reference to her and Caleb's couple name in a perfected 'that-is-so-not-funny' fashion, but the slight blush that colored her cheeks gave her away.

If only Paige knew.

Savannah certainly wasn't going to admit it now, but truth be told, she had already made a decision on this year's Halloween costumes.

Caleb was going to be Squints from _The Sandlot_, while she was going to be Wendy Peffercorn from _The Sandlot_.

Savannah was beyond excited about it as the movie held a special place in her heart. Back in the sandbox days, Caleb went through a baseball phase that included playing on a team, collecting cards and memorizing stats. Oh, and watching _The Sandlot _obsessively.

Caleb had made her, along with the rest of the Sons and Daughters, watch the movie too many times to count. While the others had eventually gotten sick of the movie, she had grown to love the movie just as much as Caleb loved it.

The idea was pretty ingenious, if she did say so herself.

Plus, Caleb had confessed to her on one drunken occasion that she was his real life Wendy Peffercorn.

Their couple's costumes would be perfect.

Now if only she could find an outfit for tonight's party…

"Just wear your cheer uniform. It'll drive Kira crazy with jealousy, knowing that you're head cheerleader and she's not. More importantly, Caleb will have you out of that outfit in no time at all. It's a win-win." Paige said to Savannah, knowing where her mind had wandered off to.

Sometimes Savannah really hated herself for being so damn predictable, it was one of her flaws, on more than one occasion it had proven to be more of a hindrance than a help, but it was programmed into her DNA.

"Speaking of cheerleading," Savannah said, taking the opportunity to segue into a conversation that they needed to have, "where were you today?"

"Let's just say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Paige informed Savannah with a small smile.

"Vegas? How did you…" Savannah trailed off as she put the pieces together. "No. No, no, no! Please tell me you didn't use your powers so that you could have a one-day R and R in Vegas."

"With a little magic, anything is possible." Paige stated, answering the question in a roundabout way.

Savannah bit her bottom lip as she internally fought with herself. On one hand, Paige shouldn't be using her powers like that. Given who her parents were…who _she _was, for that matter…Paige could have easily brought a plane ticket or called for a private jet to take her on a last minute trip to Vegas. On the other hand, Savannah knew that this was one of Paige's coping mechanisms.

Paige was, is, and always will be a runner.

Not in the traditional sense of the word.

Definitely not in the, "I run marathons, yay fitness!" way.

Rather, in the emotional sense.

Paige was known for running away, quite literally, from her problems.

It was, ironically, something that Paige and Pogue had in common.

"What about this outfit?" Savannah asked, pulling out a pair of short denim dungarees and a white long-sleeve crop top that she intended to wear underneath the dungarees.

The change of subject was a peace offering.

Paige smiled, silently thanking her "sister" for letting it go, and got up from her seat on Savannah's bed. The seventeen year old strolled across the room and joined Savannah in her walk-in closet. She directed her attention to the center island, which stored Savannah's lingerie, and opened one of the bottom drawers. She flung a hot pink, scalloped lace push-up bra and matching briefs at Savannah.

"No way…I can't wear these dungarees with only a bra and panties underneath." Savannah argued.

Paige smirked. "Aw, c'mon girly! It's simple and perfect for tonight's party. It's sexy in an innocent, girl-next-door, 'Mary Ann' from _Gilligan's Island _kind of way."

"Fine." Savannah relented, giving into Paige much as she had all summer long. It wasn't that she was weak – she was as strong-willed as an ox; rather, she was overcompensating because she felt bad about what Paige was going through. "What are you wearing, Little Miss Bossy Boots?"

Savannah was pretty sure that Paige had come over to borrow some clothes to wear to the party at the Dell's.

Paige was currently wearing monogrammed Nike running shorts and a loose fitted t-shirt. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun; but a stray strand of hair fell loose and framed her face. Her brown eyes had a touch of gold that made her eyes sparkle. Today, however, her eyes were dulled from their normal brilliance. It was pretty obvious that she had been crying.

"This." Paige said as she picked and pulled a few pieces of clothes out for Savannah to see. She had picked out a black bodycon skirt, an oversized button-up shirt, and black combat boots.

It was weird how much had changed over the course of the summer. Paige used to always wear one of Pogue's sweatshirts. It didn't matter what type of event it was – whether it was to a huge house party or a quiet night in with the girls – she _always _wore a sweatshirt that had the surname Parry prominently displayed on it.

"Do you want to wear one of Caleb's sweatshirts instead of the outfit I talked you into wearing?" Paige asked.

"As much as I love wearing his clothes, that was more your thing." Savannah said.

"I guess it was." Paige admitted, her voice filled with sadness and her eyes looked as tortured as ever. "I know it sounds silly, especially now, but I liked wearing his sweatshirts because it was like I was taking my would-be married name for a test drive."

"Paige Parry certainly has a nice ring to it. Fits where it belongs." Savannah commented.

"We _didn't_," Paige said, stressing the word, "have what you and Caleb have."

Paige shook her head, scolding herself. _Why? _she thought to herself, _Why did you have to tell Savannah about the last name thing? _

Talking and thinking about Pogue was like putting salt on an open wound. It was like a kick in the gut, full of breath-stealing pain. Paige hadn't seen or talked to him all summer (not counting, of course, all the times she had nearly drunk dialed him) and yet, he still managed to hurt her.

102 days, 6 hours, 18 minutes, and 57 seconds had passed by.

Pogue had no trouble moving on…and with Kate, of all people…so why was it so hard for her?

Paige wasn't sure whether she wanted to scream or cry. Hell, dropping to the floor and throwing a fit even sounded good, she was so frustrated. She hated the fact that he still ruled her mind and, most importantly, her heart.

"You guys have a complicated relationship, but in the end it all boils down to two things: you are madly in love with Pogue and Pogue is madly in love with you." Savannah said, speaking candidly and not tip toeing around the issue.

Throughout the summer, Savannah had really tried to bite her tongue, to hold it all in, and to keep her true feelings at bay. She had done all of that for Paige's sake.

Paige had needed a Pogue-free summer, and so Savannah had given her a Pogue-free summer.

In a way, the summertime had served as a temporary reprieve from reality.

Now that summer was coming to an end, however, it was time to wander outside the realm of blissful ignorance and escapism.

It also meant that it was time for Savannah to put her game plan into action.

Operation: Paige's Lobster was now a go.

* * *

"Come on! We're going to be late to the party." Savannah complained.

Unsurprisingly, Ember and Lacey joined Savannah and Paige to get ready for the night's party. Savannah's house was to the Daughters what Caleb's house was to the Sons – it was the go-to house for entertaining. Yes, the house was massive and screamed of established wealth. The sprawling estate was one of the many mansions built and owned by the de facto leader of the sister Covenant, Melinda Sinclair…the original matriarch of the Sinclair family.

This was also the case for the other members of the group.

_All _of them had a pretty solid set of family properties.

Ownership of the properties was passed down from one generation to the next. While the Daughters inherited the properties via their mothers, the Sons inherited the properties via their fathers.

While all of the Sons and Daughters had lovely houses at their disposal, the group (particularly the girls) tended to gravitate to Savannah's house.

That was mostly because due to the fact that Audrey Sinclair did everything she could to make her house a home.

As a result, the Sinclair Estate had become the "it" house for holiday dinners, sleepovers, movie marathons, and just hanging out.

The Danvers' Estate used to be the same way. In fact, there used to be an ongoing joke amongst their parents that Audrey and Evelyn were competing in _The Hostess Wars: Battle for the Mostess_.

When William's health began deteriorating, that immediately changed as his rapid aging caused Evelyn to turn to the bottle.

The Sons and Daughters still gathered at Caleb's house, but not as much as they used to.

The only people that still frequent the house on a regular basis are Caleb and Savannah, for obvious reasons.

"Okay, okay. I'm done." Ember declared as she applied a final touch of mascara to her eyebrows and appraised herself in the mirror. Not bad at all, if she did say so herself.

After a total of four outfit changes, Ember had settled on wearing low-rise, skin-tight, black leather pants and a denim shirt that tied at the waist, exposing her taut midriff. The outfit was topped off with a pair of red bottom high heels.

"I'm ready too." Lacey announced as she slipped into a sensible pair of metallic ballet flats. She, unlike Ember and Savannah, had chosen her outfit with ease. Lacey wore a pair of cutoff denim shorts that sat low on her hips, accentuating her slender and elegant shape, and a floral bralet crop top. Her outfit was simple, but she was stunning all the same. The simplicity of the outfit, if anything, allowed her natural beauty to shine bright like a diamond in the velvet sky.

"Great, I'll call Cay and let him know that we're on our way." Savannah said as she began to lead the way out of her room.

* * *

The drive to the Dell's was, thankfully, short and uneventful. By the time the girls arrived it was nearing nine o'clock at night and the party was just getting into its stride. Parked cars were already scattered in the woods, but it was easy to spot Tyler's Hummer as it was parked in the corner by some trees. They parked Ember's car next to the monster of a vehicle and walked down to the party.

"Well, well, well," said an all-too-familiar high-pitched, snooty voice, "look what the cat dragged in."

The four girls turned around to see Aaron and Kira stalking over to them, red solo cups in hand. Ember groaned in annoyance, rolling her eyes. This was so not going to end well. Ember saw Kira's desire to instigate an all-out war with them. It was written on Kira's face as plain as day.

"Who invited the _publics_?" Aaron spat, saying the last part as if he was talking about dirt.

"Are you dumb or just plain stupid?" Ember asked snidely.

Aaron ignored the question, but his eyes hardened.

"Nice outfit, Kessler," Kira said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "where's your oh-so-beloved sweatshirt? Oh, silly me, I forgot…Pogue dumped you like hot potato."

Kira smirked evilly when she saw Paige flinch at the comment.

"It's not like you could bag one of the Sons…they wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole." Savannah sniped on Paige's behalf.

Kira turned her nose up in the air to hide her embarrassment with haughty bravado and walked past them.

"I swear, one of these day I'm going to punch her fake, plastic-surgery nose." Ember ranted, mostly to herself.

"You'll have to get in line behind me," Paige muttered darkly, already regretting her decision to come to the party.

As luck – or, perhaps more accurately, lack thereof – would have it, the Sons chose that exact moment to make their appearance.

Nearly everyone stopped to stare at them as they made their grand entrance, whispering amongst themselves and exchanging not-so-secret glances between Pogue and Paige.

As children of the founding families, the Sons and Daughters were like royalty in Ipswich. "The It Crowd," "The Populars," "The Gods and Goddesses of Spenser Academy/Ipswich High," and "The Royal House of Ipswich," were some of the many names the group of eight had been christened with over the years.

So really, it came as no surprise that their celebrity status skyrocketed when the group began pairing off into couples. The Children of Ipswich went into orbit, and never came down.

It also came as no surprise that everyone already knew about the Bermuda Triangle that was Pogue, Paige and Kate.

Paige and Kate had a longstanding rivalry that dated back to their childhood. They were like oil and water; and oil and water didn't mix.

Their not-so-friendly rivalry had gotten worse over the years, out of control really, but it reached a boiling point when Kate started throwing herself at Pogue.

And then the absolute worst thing that could have happened, did. It happened on the last day of their junior year (_1-0-2-6-1-8-5-7_).

Paige walked in on Pogue kissing some random other girl.

She had been so shocked that she couldn't speak. She stood there, frozen.

But then she caught a glimpse of the "random" girl he was kissing.

Mocha skin…

Long, jet-black hair…

Paige could pin-point the exact moment the pieces of the puzzle came together and her heart shattered into a million pieces, each shard chipping away a little of her soul as they fell.

_Kate_.

The realization that it was Kate Tunney – not some random girl – that Pogue was kissing broke her heart.

Her heartbreak had been compounded by confusion. Nothing had prepared her for his betrayal.

Unfortunately, making matters worse, news spread like wildfire through the various gossip vines in town.

It had been the biggest story in Ipswich; so basically, everyone knew about it.

And now, apparently, everyone was waiting with baited breath to see what would happen once Pogue and Paige came face-to-face after so long (_1-0-2-6-1-8-5-7_).

The Daughters, led by Savannah, made their way over to the Sons.

"Caleb!" Savannah exclaimed when she was in relatively close proximity to him. Her squeal of unabashed excitement drew more attention than she wanted, but as Ember would so eloquently say; "she didn't give a rat's ass."

Savannah ran and jumped into Caleb's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck – a move perfected by years of practice, no doubt. She was always amazed at how effortlessly he held her, as if her weight was nothing to him.

"I missed you, blondie," he said with a devastatingly handsome smile that had Savannah's heart suddenly hammering in her chest.

"I missed you too. You don't even know how much."

"It's only been a few hours since you last saw each other." Reid said, interrupting the lovebirds.

"Aww, is someone a little jealous?" Ember teased, pinching his cheek playfully. Reid scowled and swatted her hand away.

Tyler laughed at the sour expression on his best friend's face.

While Ember and Tyler were busy teasing Reid, Savannah noticed that Kate was making her way towards them. A girl with blonde hair trailed behind her.

It seemed as though Paige had noticed as well as she visibly tensed.

With her legs still wrapped around Caleb's waist, Savannah sent a quick prayer skyward. _Please, God, don't let Kate and Pogue hurt Paige any more than they already have. _Caleb must have sensed her anxiety because he placed a hand on her thigh to try and wordlessly convey his support, his other hand slowly stroking up and down her spine in a comforting manner.

It was Kate who initiated the first move. _Of freaking course_.

"Hey Caleb." Kate greeted the leader of the group. She then went over to Pogue and practically threw herself at him.

Ember nearly gagged at the site of the two of them. Lacey, who was standing next to her, slapped a hand over Ember's mouth.

"You're late, baby." Kate cooed, stroking his cheek with the back of her hand.

Ember licked Lacey's hand to get it off her mouth.

"I know. I had a thing with the family," Pogue explained.

Paige rolled her eyes upon hearing this, knowing without a shadow of doubt that Pogue was lying.

"Who's this?" Pogue asked, drawing everyone's attention to the new girl.

"Guys," Kate said, completely ignoring the girls, "this is my new roommate Sarah Wenham."

"Sarah, this is my boyfriend, Pogue Parry," Pogue simply nodded in acknowledgement as the moment was extremely awkward. "Tyler Simms," Kate motioned to Tyler, who lifted his hand in a wave. "Caleb Danvers and Reid-"

"Garwin," Reid said with his signature smirk in place, cutting Kate's introduction short. "Reid Garwin. Good evening."

Ember snorted at Reid's greeting and pressed her face into Lacey's shoulder to keep from laughing out loud.

"You know, Sarah's my grandmother's name…you kind of remind me of her," Reid tried.

And failed.

Spectacularly.

"Reid, neither your grandmothers are named Sarah…your Glamma Blair and Grand-mère Cecilia would so disapprove of this pickup line." Lacey told him.

"Thanks a lot, Lace." Reid growled.

Ember elbowed him sharply in the ribs, feeling just a tiny bit of satisfaction when he grunted in pain.

"I'm Lacey Townsend, by the way, and the girl that's hitting the James Bond wannabe is Ember Young." Lacey said, introducing both herself and Ember to Sarah.

"I'm Paige Kessler," Paige said, introducing herself to the girl and trying to smile. Just because Sarah was Kate's new roommate didn't mean she was evil…necessarily.

Savannah, on the other hand, would wholeheartedly disagree with that sentiment.

Sarah Wenham, or whatever-the-hell-her-last-name-was, might have thought she was being discreet, but Savannah had seen her eyeing Caleb like he was a juicy steak.

Although they had only been dating for three years, Savannah had fallen in love with Caleb long before she even knew what love was. If she thought about it, she couldn't remember a time when she didn't love him. It would probably be accurate to say that she had fallen head over baby booties for him.

Savannah trusted Caleb, with every fiber of her being, and with every ounce of her soul. She trusted him with every insecurity, every flaw and every fear she had.

Her absolute trust in him was mirrored by his in her, but, even though she was secure in their relationship, she couldn't stop the green-eyed monster from clawing at her every time she caught Sarah staring at him with ill-concealed lust.

Savannah couldn't completely fault the girl for checking Caleb out, however. He was "handsomexy," a combination of handsome and sexy, any girl could admit that. Dark brown hair, matching eyes and a body that could rival Michelangelo's David, he was definitely a good piece of eye candy.

"I'm Savannah Sinclair, but most people call me Savvy," she said, not bothering to untangle herself from Caleb.

"Or Vanna White 2.0," Reid coughed under his breath, but loud enough for his friends, and Sarah, to hear.

Sarah laughed – a bit too loudly for Savannah's liking.

"_Or _my blondie," Caleb said as he gazed deeply into her eyes, "my everything."

Savannah smiled at his words and at their sincerity. Maybe it was a witch thing, but Caleb had the ability to melt her into a puddle of love-sick goo. He knew her so well it was unreal, but she loved it. It was little things like this that made her fall in love with him more and more, each and every day.

Ember and Reid glanced at each other with a twin look of disgust on their faces. Ember opened her mouth and stuck her finger at the opening, pretending to gag herself. But truth be told, she secretly lived for these moments. She loved CalebandSavannah, SavannahandCaleb. She kind of, sort of, maybe shipped them like FedEx.

Spurred on by a sudden bout of confidence, and maybe – just maybe – a dash of reckless impulse, Savannah decided to indulge in some PDA with her (keyword: _her_) boyfriend.

Leaning down slightly, Savannah brushed her lips over the shell of his ear before speaking softly, "You, Caleb Danvers," she whispered, shifting atop him, her hips arching against his in a way that was setting him on fire, "are the best boyfriend ever." Their eyes met, desire blazing hot between them, as she lowered her mouth to meet his.

The kiss spoke of intimacy and barely restrained passion. They parted to catch their breaths, but a second later their lips found each other again. Savannah's mouth moved lower, pressing possessive kisses along his collarbone and the column of throat.

As the couple continued to kiss, they completely forgot about the world around them.

"I think we should leave these two alone for awhile." Tyler suggested, awkwardly, tearing his eyes away from the PDA.

Sarah had a shocked and dazed look on her face. Kate had warned her that Caleb and Savannah were they type of couple that constantly made out, but she still hadn't been prepared for what she had just seen. They were practically dry humping right in front of everyone!

"I'd have to agree with Baby Boy over here," Pogue quickly agreed. There was something about seeing Caleb and Savannah back in action that made Pogue feel hollow inside.

Caleb and Savannah, being the inseparable lovebirds that they are, don't even bother to stop. They're too busy making out to pay attention to what the group is saying.

"I'm gonna get a drink." Paige muttered, already walking away from the group. She wanted to be left alone and yet, simultaneously, she needed someone.

Paige's mind immediately jumps to Pogue, but she quickly dismisses that thought.

He used to be her anchor – reliable and strong.

He used to be her rock, and now, she was beginning to think she'd never see solid ground again.

Without him, she's lost.

For the first time in Paige's life, she feels like a shell of her former self. An imposter pretending that everything was okay, when in reality, she was teetering on the brink of insanity.

And she loathes herself for it. Loathes herself for allowing a guy – even if it is Pogue – to affect her this much.

Paige Madeline Kessler was _not _weak. She was stronger than this, dammit! She would not fall apart over this, she vowed. She absolutely would not. But the words felt like a lie, even in her own muddled head.

Paige's emotions whirled around like debris in a roaring hurricane, but she willed herself to calm down. Mentally, she began counting to ten.

She counts them _1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10_, but the numbers that run through her head are _1-0-2-6-1-8-5-7_, over and over again, like a broken record, deafening and unending.

It's stuck in her mind.

Haunting her.

She _really _needs a drink.

* * *

**I really wanted to center this chapter on Pogue and Paige. Their relationship, as you can probably tell, is extremely complicated. **

**The party at the Dell's is going to continue in the next chapter – so Chase will soon be making his appearance.**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter! If you have any questions, feel free to let me know.**

**Oh, and **_1-0-2-6-1-8-5-7 _**is the amount of time that has passed by since Paige saw Pogue kissing Kate (102 days, 6 hours, 18 minutes, and 57 seconds).**

**Please review! **


End file.
